This invention relates to apparatus for the performance of continuous extrusion of feedstock materials. The materials involved may be metals or alloys, cermets, ceramics, plastics or any other materials which are extrudable. The form of feed of the material may be solid, particulate, including powder, granules, spheroids etc, swarf, turnings, slicings, off-cuts, scrap or any other form capable of being compacted into a form and condition allowing extrusion.
A process and apparatus for continuous extrusion is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,216, particularly the apparatus described with reference to FIG. 3 thereof. FIGS. 5-9 thereof show various embodiments of the shoe 4 of FIG. 3; in such FIGS. 5-9 various forms of die or dies 6 are shown incorporated in the material of shoe 4. Commonly owned subsequently filed U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,703 discloses, in FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the shoe 4 having a removable insert member 6 secured in the shoe 4, the insert member 6 being made and dimensioned so as to have a portion which projects into the endless groove 3 in the wheel 1 of the extrusion apparatus, the relative position of the insert member 6 within the groove 3 being adjustable in the depth sense.
The present invention is concerned with a practical form of die means for production of, for example, tubing, by continuous extrusion as aforesaid, and involved with and incorporated in an assembly of shoe member (including a portion which projects into the wheel groove as aforesaid) and abutment, the latter serving to block the endless groove and cause upsetting of the feed material and extrusion through the die means.